Hundreds respond to Cumbria maternity survey
More than 250 people have responded to a survey about maternity services in Cumbria, within 24 hours of it going live.
It is aimed at women who have used the services over the past five years, as well as their families and birth supporters.
The survey asks questions like "what worked well / did not work well in your relationships with medical professionals during the course of the pregnancy?"
It's being led by Healthwatch Cumbria, the body charged with making sure local people's views are taken into consideration, in collaboration with local NHS Trusts, and Maternity Services Liaisons Committees.
Maternity services are in the spotlight in the region, particularly in west Cumbria.
There have been concerns that the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven will lose its consultant-led maternity services, meaning people would have to travel to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle.
The preferred option was for four consultant-led maternity units to remain at Carlisle, Whitehaven, Barrow and Lancaster.
However, an implementation group is now looking at the feasibility of proceeding with the preferred option, looking at cost and viability, and the group will take into account the findings of this maternity survey.
If the implementation group finds that the preferred option is not viable, other options will be considered, including transferring consultant-led maternity services from the West Cumberland Hospital.